Zee of the Sea
by TheNotoriousNovelist
Summary: AU: Zee of the Sea is a mermaid who's being tracked by supernatural hunters. When she reaches Gotham City, she meets Dick Grayson. Dick soon gets wrapped up in the whole thing too and he's determined to protect her. Pairings: Chalant. Featuring Mermaid!Zatanna. Cover image by jemyart.
1. Prologue

**Inspired by Three Girls, One Song by DarkMagc. You rock! There needs to be more Mermaid!Zatanna in this fandom. I dare all you Zatanna fans to write a Mermaid!Zatanna story! I dare you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

* * *

_Zee of the Sea_

_Prologue:_

**Italy, Rome**

Zee of the Sea lay at the bottom of the Italian ocean. The Sun shone down and reflected off the black-tipped red scales of her tail. She wore a red dress with a pearl belt around her waist and a seahorse necklace made from a string of leather around her neck. Zee felt the vibrations of a boat and she woke-up.

"_S'tahw taht_?" she thought.

Zee swam upwards and lifted her light blue eyes above the water. She looked around but saw nothing until she turned around and saw a boat behind her.

"We've got one!" someone exclaimed.

A net appeared around her and lifted her out of the water. Zee began flapping her tail and tried to escape it. There was a broad shouldered man with scars across his face standing by a short and narrow-built man with horn-styled hair.

"Ooh! She's pretty! Can I have her?" the short one asked, rubbing his hands together.

"No!" the scarred man hit the short one's head "She's merchandise,"

Zee knew who they were. Hunters of the supernatural! She began trying to rip the net but her aquatic strength couldn't break her free. Zee fell back as they began to move her over the deck.

"Tes em eerf!" she shouted.

The top of the net ripped and she fell into the ocean. Zee unwrapped herself from the net and darted away as fast as a barracude. Unknown to her, the net was laced with microscopic tracking device that stuck to her skin like salt.

On the hunters' boat, they checked their equipment and saw a red blip heading for America and they headed in her direction.

_"rehtoM! Sretnuh era retfa em!" _Zee thought to her mother.

_"Od ton yrrow, ym dilhc," _came her mother's voice _"Og ot mahtoG ytiC dna edih ereht litnu s'ti efas,"_

Zee picked up her pace and altered the currents to get her there faster.


	2. Chapter 1

**The changing colours of Zatanna's fingernails is from the movie, Aquamarine. I used the Lantern Corps' colour spectrum for it.**

* * *

_Zee of the Sea_

_Chapter 1:_

**America, Gotham City**

Dick Grayson walked along the dingy Gotham beach late at night. He had his hands in his pockets as he thought about his future. He had just gotten out of a relationship with Barbara Gordon... one of many. It's not like Dick _wanted _to date a lot of women, he just hadn't found that one woman he'd spend the rest of his life with. He looked up from the ground and saw... was that a woman?

She was collapsed on the beach with her lower half in the water. Dick ran over to her and turned her onto her back. He gasped. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her skin was Sun kissed and her raven-black hair was stuck to her from the water. She opened her eyes... light blue eyes like a tropical ocean... and screamed. She stumbled away from him with her legs in the skirt of her long red dress.

"Ohw era uoy?!" she exclaimed.

Dick felt possessed and couldn't help but speak.

"My name is Richard John Grayson but every calls me Dick, I'm 19-years-old, I hope to be a cop one day," he said, quickly "and I can't help but think there isn't a woman for me out there,"

He put his hand over his mouth and looked at her.

"Why did I tell you that?" Dick asked.

The woman looked at him in fear.

"Era uoy a retnuh?"

"No, why did I just say that?" Dick wondered.

The woman got closer to him. She grabbed his jacket colour and kissed him! Dick would've pushed her away but something about it... about her... was right. She pulled away and looked down, her hair falling around her.

"M-My n-na-name is... Z-Zee o-o-f th-e S-ea," she stammered.

She tried to breathe but began suffocating. Zee fell onto her back and held her throat. In her desperation, she couldn't keep her... lower half... tucked in her skirt and her tail kicked out.

"Oh. My. Aster," Dick said "A... mermaid?"

When the initial shock passed, he remembered she couldn't breathe. On the little he knew about mermaid mythology, he pushed her, face first, into the waves. The tide pulled her out and she disappeared. Dick stood on the beach and looked out over the water. There was a reflection of the full moon on the surface and Zee of the Sea jumped out of the river through it. She practically flew through the air and landed sitting on a rock. She shifted one of her red sleeves back over her shoulder as she looked at him.

"Th-ank y-you, Rich-ard Gray-son," she stammered "You s-saved m-y li-life,"

"Why are you here?" Dick asked, stepping forward "I thought mermaids were myths,"

"I'm being chased by supernatural hunters, they want to sell me for profit," Zee explained "I came here to hide from them. I swam all the way from Rome,"

"Sounds like you need to rest," he said "Hey, can you breathe on land?"

"As long as I'm wet in some way," said the mermaid "So?"

"You can crash with me if you want," said Dick "My adoptive father set me up in a penthouse while I'm in college,"

"Era uoy yhtrowtsurt?" Zee said.

"Yes, why did I say that?" Dick answered.

"Mermaids naturally speak Backwards but whatever we say happens so we use telepathy to talk to each other," she said "When I kissed you, I took on your language abilities. I can now not only speak Forwards but I can also speak every language you can... you speak a lot of languages,"

"Yeah, I'm bilingual," he responded, running a hand through his hair "C'mon, I'll carry you to my car," and he picked her up bridal style.

Zee blushed when he put his arms around her... his strong muscular arms... how could she be attracted to a mere human?

* * *

Dick put Zee down in his indoor hot tub and she took a deep breath since she had been drying out on the way there. She looked around. There was a spiral metal staircase up to a balcony and there was a drawn curtain to hide whatever was there.

"Nice place," Zee said "I could definitely crash here for a few days,"

"Good, you want something to drink?" Dick offered.

"Salt water would be nice, icy cold," said Zee, folding her arms behind her head and sinking into the water.

Dick chuckled to himself and walked over to the kitchen area. He got some ice water and mixed in some sea salt from a pack he had. He handed her her drink and she sighed in relief from it.

"What year is it?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"Uh? 2019? Why?" Dick asked.

Zee looked at him with a sad expression. She sat up and turned to be on her front and leaned against the side.

"It's just..." she seemed sad "Mermaids... we take a decade to age a year... I'm 190-years-old..."

"Wow, you look pretty good for 190," said Dick, pulling up a stool to sit with her.

"Well... my father... Giovanni Zatara... was human," Zee explained "He must have died by now,"

"I'm sorry," said Dick "So, what, other than the obvious, about you is human?"

"None... the only way I could survive was by becoming full-mermaid," she said "This necklace suppresses my human half," and she pulled her seahorse necklace out with her thumb.

"Asterous," he said "Oh, that's my made-up word meaning the opposite of disastrous. Sorry, I've been messing with English since I was 13,"

"I don't mind," said Zee "Be as chalant as you like, that's the opposite of-"

"Nonchalant," said Dick "I came up with it a few years ago too,"

They both blushed as they looked into each other's eyes.

"I, uh, I need to go to bed if I'm going to finish my criminal psychology paper tomorrow," he said, standing up "You good to sleep in the hot tub?" Zee nodded "A'right, goodnight,"

Dick used the dimmer switch by the spiral staircase and walked up to the balcony. The balcony was actually his bedroom. Zee watched him walk up the stairs before sinking down under the water and curling up. The chlorine wasn't as nice as salt water but it kept her alive. Her hair floated around her as she fell asleep to the sound of the filter.

_Zee looked through the seaweed at the clown fish. She blended in well because she was wearing a tank-top made from woven seaweed. She steadily swam out to the fish, careful not to spook it._

_"_Ih! M'i eeZ fo eht aeS!_" she exclaimed in her head but the clown fish swam away "_Emoc kcab!_"_

_Sindella of the Waves came swimming over and Zee marvelled at her mother's beautiful long golden hair._

_"_annataZ, ym dlihc_,"__Sindella thought to her "_S'ti yako, uoy tsuj t'nevah denrael ot etacinummoc htiw meht tey_,"_

_Zee huffed like the 5-decade-old she was, crossing her chubby arms._

* * *

Zee opened her eyes the next morning. She sat up in the water and looked around the penthouse. She looked out at the outside pool and saw Dick doing laps. Zee bit her lip as she unknowingly checked Dick out. She watched him get out of the pool and noticed how ripped he was. She dreamily leaned against the side of the hot tub and gripped it. Her previously yellow nails for fear turned to violet. Zee looked at them and gasped. How could she...? Was it possible? She had only just met... how?

Dick came walking in with a towel around his shoulders. Zee bit her bottom lip and held her hands to her chest to hide her nails.

"So, what do mermaids eat?" he asked, going over to the stairs "I'll get dressed and fix us some breakfast,"

When he was gone, Zee looked down at her nails and remembered when her mother explained what emotion triggered what colour.

Green was for willpower, yellow for fear, red for anger, indigo for compassion, orange for greed, blue for hope and violet... violet was for love.

Was it possible she had fallen in love with Dick after knowing him for less than 12 hours?


	3. Chapter 2

_Zee of the Sea_

_Chapter 2:_

Dick sat on his sofa while he typed on his laptop as he tried to finish his criminal psychology paper. Zee was in the hot tub while watching a movie on another one of Dick's laptops. It was about a mermaid who meets 2 teenaged girls who try to prove love exists.

"You're bored, aren't you?" Dick said, seeing how she lolled her head as he pulled his headphones off.

"Yeah, I wish I could stretch my tail," said Zee, flapping it.

"Try turning on the jets," said Dick "Relax and enjoy yourself,"

Zee flicked a switch and lay back. Dick tried to get back to work but the thought of people hunting Zee returned.

"Zee? What's with this whole hunting thing?" he asked.

Zee looked at him and sighed as she lay back against the side.

"There's a black market for magical creatures," she explained "They capture them and sell them as possessions... I was captured but I used my powers to escape,"

"Hmm... they're experts on your kind, right?" Zee nodded "Then they would've known you could escape. Wouldn't they put a tracker on you?" Dick asked.

Zee began looking at herself and shivered with a look of fear.

"Don't worry, I got tracker detecting equipment," he said, getting up "I'm a master at computers,"

* * *

Zee lay flat on a towel on the floor while Dick scanned her with a wand designed to detect technology.

"Dick? How do you see me?" Zee asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"You're a friend," Dick said.

"I'm not an animal or a freak of nature?" she asked.

"Heck no," he said as he scanned her fin "You know dogs are a species and then there's breeds of dogs? I think that's what humans and mermaids are, 2 breeds of one species,"

Zee smiled as Dick finished and checked the scan data on his laptop. It was a wonder he had so many computers. Zee sat up and looked at the screen. Across an outline of a mermaid there were hundreds of green dots.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Zee... you're covered in hundreds of microscopic trackers," Dick said "They have the composition of salt,"

"No wonder I didn't feel them, mermaids always have a layer of salt on them," said Zee "Unless they're freshwater mermaids, they have wings to fly up waterfalls,"

"I'll track the signal back to whoever's tracking you," he said.

Zee armycrawled to the hot tub and pulled herself in, splashing water onto the carpet. Dick continued to type on his laptop for a few minutes so she submerged herself in the water as the jets made the water move like a current. If it was filled with seawater, she would have thought she was in the ocean.

* * *

Zee was pulled out of the water by Dick. He stared at her in worry.

"We've got to go!" he exclaimed.

"Why?" Zee lazily asked.

"I tracked the people tracking you and they're 5 minutes away," Dick said.

"What?!" Zee exclaimed.

"C'mon, put this coat on, it'll hide your tail," Dick said, tossing her a trench coat "I've got an emergency wheelchair so you can sit in that,"

He picked her up, she put the trench coat on and buttoned it up over her tail and Dick sat Zee down in the wheelchair. It was of sleek design with no back and tilted wheels. Dick put a beanie on over her hair and Zee snuggled into the outfit.

"Let's go," said Zee, rolling towards the door.

* * *

Dick walked beside Zee in a wheelchair as they left the building. Zee looked behind her and saw the scarred and horned men from Italy walking in with guns under their jackets. She reached up and grabbed Dick's hand out of fear.

"Don't worry, we're going to my adoptive parents' house," he explained, squeezing her hand back "We'll make a plan there,"

Zee took a breath and looked at her lap, feeling her tail under the coat.

"What if they aren't as open minded as you?" she asked "What if-"

"It'll be okay," Dick assured her "They first met my adopted brother, Jason, when he tried to steal the wheels off our car,"

Zee giggled at the thought.

* * *

Bruce and Selina were happy to have their oldest child come by with a girl. They sat in the living room and was surprised when they offered her a drink and she asked for saltwater.

"So, what do we owe this pleasure?" Selina asked with a 3-year-old girl asleep on her lap.

"We need help with getting out of town," said Dick "Some people are after Zee here,"

"Why?" Bruce asked as a sleeping 3-year-old boy crawled into his arms.

Dick nodded and Zee opened up her coat to reveal her tail. Bruce and Selina stared at her in shock.

"This is Zee of the Sea," said Dick "She's a mermaid from Italy. Some hunters have been trying to capture her to sell her,"

They looked shocked.

"How could someone sell another living being?" Selina said "I'll take Damian and Helena to bed and we'll talk about this,"

* * *

Bruce and Selina got in an argument with Dick when he said he wanted to go with Zee. He believed he could deactivate or remove the microscopic trackers and he needed to be with her to do that.

"You don't have to come with me, Richard, you have a family that care about you," said Zee.

"I'm not going to let you spend the rest of your life on the run," said Dick.

Bruce saw the intensity of Dick's emotions to Zee. It reminded him of how he looked at Selina. Even if the 2 had only just met each other and barely knew one another, they were falling in love.

"Selina, we can't really stop him from going. He's 19, an adult, we don't have the legal right to tell him what to do anymore," said Bruce.

Zee and Dick both looked at Bruce with appreciation. Selina sighed and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Be safe, okay?" she said.

Zee was so relieved at that that her nails turned blue for hope.


	4. Chapter 3

**To get in the mermaid mood, go listen to one of my favourite songs...**

**Mermaid by Train**

* * *

_Zee of the Sea_

_Chapter 3:_

Zee looked out the window at Wayne Manor's front lawn. Selina was packing her some clothes that could hide her tail.

"You're very open minded Mrs. Kyle-Wayne," Zee said "Most people freak out when they see me,"

"How many people have seen you, dear?" Selina asked.

"The occasional child, scuba divers, oceanographers, people like that," she said, stretching out her tail.

"We have an indoor pool if you want to go for a swim," said Selina.

* * *

Zee floated under the water of the pool. Her eyes were closed and she felt the ocean calling to her. She felt her powers drain from her. Once every 10 years, a mermaid had to hibernate for a month to regain their powers. The Hibernation Month was coming up and she was going to need to find a safe place to regenerate her powers. Last time she hibernated, she woke-up with the power to communicate with sea animals.

Zee opened her eyes and saw people standing on the edge of the pool. She swam up and leaned on the edge of the pool. Standing there was 16-year-old Jason Todd, 14-year-old Tim Drake and the 3-year-old twins, Damian and Helena.

"Told you there was a mermaid," Helena said "Dickie brought her home last night,"

"You 4 must be Dick's brothers and sister," Zee said "I'm Zee of the Sea, I'm a friend of your brother's,"

"This is so freaky," said Jason "Helena loves mermaids, don't you Lena?"

"Uh huh!" Helena said, nodding her head "Do you have any powers?!"

"Whatever I say Backwards happens, I can control ocean currents and I can talk to marine life," Zee said "Watch..." and she turned around "Evaw,"

A wave passed across the pool and splashed onto the side. Helena squealed and jumped. Dick walked into the pool room. He put his hands on his hips and sighed.

"Guys? Leave Zee alone, we've gotta go," said Dick.

"A'right," she said, lifting her arms up and Dick lifted her out of the pool "You know chlorine isn't as good as seawatar,"

"I know," Dick said as he carried her out.

* * *

Zee wore a cardigan over the long dress she had on to hide her tail. She sat in the front passanger seat of Dick's car with her fins in a tub of water mixed with kitchen salt. She waited in the front seat of the car for Dick. He was talking to Bruce.

"Here's the fake I.D's," Bruce said, handing him 2 passports "Are you sure about this, Dick?"

"I'm sure, Bruce," Dick said "I can't explain it but... I don't know... I just feel protective of her..."

Unknown to him, Zee overheard him and her nails turned violet.

"I understand, Dick," said Bruce "Just be careful, alright?"

Dick nodded and walked to his car. He got in and started the engine. He passed Zee the fake I.D's and pulled out of the garage.

* * *

They entered the motel room and looked around it.

"So... you take the bed and I'll take the bathtub?" Zee said with a smile.

Dick nodded with a smile back.

* * *

That night, Zatanna lay in the tub. It was so uncomfortable because her tail was longer than it was. She thought about Dick and her nails turned violet. Despite it seeming against mermaid nature, she allowed her mind to wander to thoughts of Dick and being with Dick... it seemed so wrong yet... right. Zee gave into her feelings of love and couldn't help but daydream.

_"I love you, Zee of the Sea... Zatanna," _said Dick's voice _"I want to be with you... you have my heart..."_

Zee smiled as she imagined it. She couldn't help but think of it. Could it be possible... had she imprinted on Dick? Was it possible for a mermaid to imprint on a human? Zee sat up all of a sudden, water splashing on the floor. Someone knocked on the door and she called out for them to come in. Dick walked into the bathroom and Zatanna's nails turned blue for hope but she just felt relief at that moment.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sitting on the toilet seat "I heard splashing,"

"I'm... fine... it's a mermaid thing... I'm about to go into hibernation so,"

"Hibernation? Mermaids hibernate?" Dick said.

"Yeah, in about 2 weeks I need to find a quiet place to sleep for a month," Zee said "It's to renew my powers and allow myself to change in ways I currently can't,"

"Good ways?" he asked.

"Yes, most of the time it's a tail change," she explained "Different colour or different shape of the fins,"

"Oh, well, you should get some sleep," said Dick "See you tomorrow,"

* * *

_...The next morning..._

Zee was obsessively eating gummy bears while watching things on YouTube on Dick's laptop. She was sitting in her wheelchair with her fins in a bucket of salt water.

"Humans are so weird," she said "Why go through _dating? _Just connect to each other's minds and if they're in sync spend the rest of your lives together,"

"Humans can't read minds," said Dick, looking at a map on the bed.

Zee looked back at the screen until there was a knock on the door. Dick got up to answer but looked through the blinds just in case.

"Who is it?" Zee asked.

"I think it's the guys from outside my apartment," said Dick "They must have tracked us from Gotham. C'mon, we need to hide,"

* * *

Vandel Savage rammed the door and Klarion followed him.

"The signal is coming from this room," said Vandel "Search it,"

"Alrighty," said Klarion.

He got on the floor and looked under the bed. Vandel looked around and stood in front of the wardrobe.

Inside the wardrobe, Dick was supporting himself and Zee by holding onto the bar for the coat hangers in the air. Zee was curled up against him and his other arm was around her. If he was standing, Klarion would see his feet under the wardrobe doors because they didn't go to the floor. Zee's head began spinning since mermaids dried out quickly. She lay her head on his shoulder and Dick began sweating. He needed to get her in some water and fast.


	5. Chapter 4

**To the person who said I made a reference to Starfire in Teen Titans, you're right. Sorry, I just had to :]**

* * *

_Zee of the Sea_

_Chapter 4:_

Vandel and Klarion continued to search the room. Dick looked through the blinds as his nerves increased. There was a creak and the bar that held them up began to bend.

_"No!" _Dick exclaimed in his mind.

The bar broke and they thudded onto the ground. Vandel opened the wardrobe door and Dick threw the bar at him. He sprinted onto his feet with Zee in his arms, he needed to find some water.

* * *

Dick ran out of the motel and down the street with the hunters following him.

"D-Dick?" Zee murmured, looking up at him.

"It'll be okay, Zee, you'll be okay," he said.

Dick saw a river with a bridge over it and jumped down to the bank. His ankle was sprained but he kept running. He couldn't help it. For some reason, he felt connected to Zee of the Sea... somehow. Dick came to the river's edge and ran into it. When the water was up to his waist, he lowered Zee in and let her float. Zee opened her eyes and submerged herself in it. She lifted her head above the water and Dick watched her swim away. She jumped into the air off in the distance and dived down.

Dick waded back onto the bank and looked out to see if he could see her. Zee was out of sight. Was she gone... forever?

Vandel grabbed him by his collar and lifted him above the ground.

"I'm 50'000-years-old and that mermaid was the best specimen of the species I've ever seen!" he said "You don't understand what you've gotten yourself into, mortal, that mermaid will be sold dead or alive!"

* * *

Zee swam at top speed around the water. It made her feel so much better to be completely submerged in salt water again. She looked in the direction of the ocean and slowly began swimming in that direction. Then the thoughts of Dick re-entered her mind and she stopped. Zee poked her head out from under the water and saw the hunters beating him up. She gasped and dived back down to swim at top speed towards them.

Zee raised the seawater into a giant wave and it collapsed onto the bank. She swam through the rushing water and found Dick struggling to breathe. Desperate to save his life, she decided to test out an old mermaid's tale. As Dick thrashed in the water, Zee put one hand on his shoulder to get his attention and looked into his eyes. She tapped her lips with her free hand then put it to Dick's. Dick didn't know what she was doing but he trusted her with all his heart. Zee cupped his face in her hands, closed her eyes and kissed him. Dick couldn't help but take a sudden breath in through his nose but found he could now breath. Zee pulled away and laughed at his expression from being able to breath underwater. The water finally began receeding and it left Dick and Zatanna on the beach.

Dick sat up and looked down at Zatanna laying next to him. She smiled at him, her entire being completely soaked. Her hair hung in her face and covered half of it. Dick reached down and tucked her hair behind her ear. They laughed at the trivial action as Zee sat up. They looked out at the river and Zee slid her hand towards his at the same time Dick slid his hand towards hers. They looked at each other and leaned closer.

"Why do I feel like I know you so well after such little time?" Dick asked.

"If a mermaid imprints on you, the first time you meet you'll subconsciously fall in love with them and, as soon as you first kiss, those feelings become permanent," explained Zee.

"So... you imprinted on me?" he asked and Zee nodded.

"Dick, it's customary for a mermaid to hide their true name until they meet someone they trust with it," she said "Zee of the Sea is just a title," she looked at Dick "I trust you with my real name,"

"What is it?" Dick asked.

"Zatanna... Zatanna Zatara," she said, looking away.

"Zatanna," he tried out her name "That's beautiful... like you,"

Zatanna looked at him and her nails began mixing from blue for hope and violet for love.

"Just kiss me already, there's only 2 weeks 'til I have to hibernate," she said.

Dick laughed at her tone and did as he was told. Zatanna wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled as they kissed. She curled her tail in joy when he put his hands on her waist. They pulled away when they noticed Zatanna's necklace was glowing. She pulled it out with her thumb and stared at it. She looked to Dick as the light began to consume her.

_"Zatanna Zatara, you have fallen in love with a human. To be on land with him, simply wrap your hand around your necklace and will it to turn you from mermaid to human and vice versa,"_

The light dimmed and Zatanna felt something weird under her skirt. She pulled it up and screamed in shock. She fell onto her back and held one up. One what you may ask?

"Zatanna? You have legs!" Dick exclaimed.


	6. Chapter 5

_Zee of the Sea_

_Chapter 5:_

Zatanna stumbled as she tried walking for the first time and fell into Dick's arms. They laughed as Zatanna got back to her feet. Dick put her arm around his shoulders and helped her walk back in the direction of his car. They were going to leave for a safe place for Zatanna to hibernate and for Dick to deactivate the micro-trackers on her in case the hunters returned.

Zatanna rested her head on the windowsill in the car. She looked out the window as the rain fell. It made her think of the ocean... She couldn't wait to go back to it. But, what would happen to her relationship with Dick when that happened?

* * *

_...1 week and 6 __days later..._

Zatanna swam deeper into the underwater cave. She'd need a deep, dark and secluded area to hibernate in a day. It had to be pitch black so her body wouldn't need to focus on repelling sunlight. Zatanna had to use her sonar to tell where she was going. She missed the cave she'd hibernate in back in the Italian ocean. It was warm with a sandy bottom to rest on. The currents were getting too strong and her ability to affect water couldn't work in such proximity.

Zatanna grabbed the edge of the tunnel put couldn't get her tail through. She grabbed her necklace and willed herself to have legs. No matter what form, she always had her mermaid powers. Her seahorse charm turned into a starfish and her red-and-black tail turned into legs with the red swimming shorts she had been wearing. Zatanna, gritting her teeth, pushed her legs through the gap and got herself into the cavern. She floated onto the floor and turned marmaid again. She made sure she could move around comfortably before deciding. Zatanna felt around the entrance.

Dick was sitting on the river edge while sipping some hot chocolate. His girlfriend came to the surface in the t-shirt and swimming shorts she had been wearing.

"So?" he asked, passing her a towel.

"It's perfect," Zatanna said, putting the towel over her head and drying her hair.

"Good," said Dick "C'mon, we can get some breakfast at the diner,"

"A'right," she said, pulling on some trousers over her shorts.

* * *

They walked along the beach in the direction of Dale's Diner. Zatanna could hear the ocean calling to her. Dick took her inside the diner and they sat in a booth by the window. Zatanna slyly poured salt into her water and drank it up.

"What're you in the mood for?" Dick asked her.

"Anything that won't dry my mouth up," she said then looked out the window.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Zatanna took a drink as she looked out at the sea before answering.

"There's a storm coming," she said "A big one,"

"Are you crazy?"

Dick and Zatanna looked at the person sitting behind them.

"Excuse me?" Zatanna asked.

"The sky's perfectly clear, there is no way a storm is coming," said the girl sitting behind them.

"I was practically raised in the ocean," said Zatanna "There's a storm coming,"

"How bad?" Dick asked.

"Very," she said "We should go back to the boarding house and get ready,"

* * *

Sure enough, there was a huge storm later that night. Dick and Zatanna had different rooms but they were in the living room of the boarding house. Zatanna was experimenting with knitting and was surprisingly good for a beginner. She said it was because mermaids wove things together to make things. Dick closed the window as the wind picked up.

"You really do know the sea," he said.

"And the sea knows me," she responded.

Zatanna irritably dropped a stitch and began re-threading it when the ocean called to her. She put her knitting down and walked over to the window. She opened it and stuck her head out.

"Zatanna?" Dick asked "What's wrong?"

"There's... someone out there..." she said "Someone's out there,"

Zatanna climbed out the window and ran across the grass.

"Zatanna?!" Dick shouted.

* * *

Zatanna ran down the dock and grabbed her starfish necklace. She began to glow and she jumped off the end of the dock. When she was at the top of the arc, she turned into her mermaid self and she dived down.

Zatanna began swimming as fast as possible through the waves in the direction the sea called to her. The currents worked against her and her ability to alter them was barely working. Zatanna swam upwards to see where she was in the ocean. She looked around and saw the beachside town was far off in the distance. She turned around and saw a boat being bombarded with waves. Zatanna dived back down and swam towards it, her tail going from left to right rather than up and down to fight the currents.

* * *

The people on the boat gasped as a wave crashed over them. A teenaged girl was holding onto the leg of a nailed down table as the boat was rocked. Her father was trying to steer the boat out of the storm to no avail.

"Julie!" her mother exclaimed.

Julie's grip broke and she went flying off the boat as it was lifted up a wave. Julie was about to fall into the water when Zatanna came flying out of the wave and caught her. She swam back up the wave and jumped up to the ship.

"What. The. Heck?!" Julie exclaimed "You're that lady from the diner! You're a mermaid?!"

Zatanna backflipped off the boat and dived back into the water. She swam up to the top of the wave and forced it to shrink. She jumped up and sat on the front of the boat and forced the ocean to calm and the currents to push them back to shore.

* * *

Zatanna dived back into the ocean once more before anyone could see her. She sat on some rocks surrounding a cove and Dick joined her. She dipped her tail in the water and leaned into him.

"Zatanna, you go into hibernation tomorrow," he said "And, I just want to say, the time I've spent with you has been some of the most meaningful in my entire life,"

Zatanna looked up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I never realized a mermaid could fall in love with a human... but I'm glad I did," she said "Mermaids are magical beings who have a special relationship with time. I fell in love with you instantly because I was destined to,"

They kissed and Zatanna took hold of her seahorse necklace. It turned into a starfish necklace and her legs appeared.

* * *

_...The next day..._

Zatanna walked to the edge of the river. She looked back at Dick with a smile before taking hold of her necklace and beginning to glow. She jumped into the water as she turned into her mermaid form. Dick knelt over the water and Zatanna came back up. She grabbed his collar and kissed him.

"I'll see you in a month," he said to her.

"See you in a month," said Zatanna "Goodbye, my love," and she dived.

* * *

Zatanna swam down the tunnel and the current began to get tougher. She turned her tail to legs and climbed into the cave to hibernate in. She returned to her mermaid form and curled up. Zatanna released a special pheromone from between her scales that warded off marine life. She murmured a spell to simulate the warmth of her usual hibernating spot and created sands to lie on. Zatanna stretched and curled up again, snuggling down in the sands and closed her eyes. A mystic force was let out and sealed the entrance so no one could get in if they tried.


	7. Chapter 6

** There is so much Backwards talking in this chapter I'm just going to write it Forwards. Also, Zatanna's mother, Sindella, has a flashback of Giovanni so whatever they say is actually in Italian.**

**Zatanna refers to the God of the Sea as Neptune, not Poseidon, because she's from Rome and Neptune is the Roman equivalent of Poseidon.**

* * *

_Zee of the Sea_

_Chapter 6:_

Zatanna lay in her hibernation cave as her strength was renewed...

_Zatanna swam through the water of the telepathic plane every mermaid's consciousness went while hibernating. She swam around as she searched for other mermaids. There. Right in front of her. Was her mother!_

_"Mother?" she called._

_Sindella turned around and saw her daughter. They swam to each other and hugged._

_"My child, you're safe," she said "What's happened?"_

_"Mother, I fell in love with someone I trust my name with!" Zatanna exclaimed "His name is Dick Grayson,"_

_"That's not a mermaid name," said Sindella._

_"Mother... he's human," said Zatanna, turning from her and hugged her arms "I imprinted on him, my nails turn violet when I think of him,"_

_"I'm not one to judge, your father was human after all," said Sindella, turning her daughter to face her "Come, the rest of our tribe await,"_

_Zatanna followed her mother to a coral reef where the voices of mermaids came from. There was a collection of mermaids having a party while they hibernated in the real world. Zatanna looked around and saw an old friend._

_"M'gann!" she exclaimed._

_"Zee!" M'gann exclaimed._

_They hugged as the friends were reunited._

_"You can call me Zatanna, M'gann, it's my true name," said Zatanna "I imprinted on the one I told,"_

_"Eek! That's so exciting! Where is he? Are you hibernating next to each other?" M'gann asked, looking behind her._

_"He's not hibernating, he's human," Zatanna explained "His name's Dick and he's guarding my hibernation place,"_

_"Ooh! What's with your family and falling in love with humans?" M'gann asked "C'mon, we need a harpist!"_

_M'gann pulled Zatanna through the water and sat her down on some coral. As Zatanna strummed the harp, she couldn't help but think of Dick. She felt like she had known him for her entire 190 years of life when they had only known each other for 2 weeks._

XxX

_Zatanna sat on the top of the coral reef and combed her long black hair. She never felt more separated from her tribe. She missed Dick and she had no idea how long it would take for a month to be up since she had no perception of time. Zatanna tossed the comb away and lay back, looking upwards with her arms crossed behind her head. She started to think about what to do when the micro-trackers were off her. Would she return to the ocean? Or stay on land with Dick? And, what about Italy? She had lived her life off the coast of Rome, could she really leave that?_

_Zatanna started to swim away from the coral reef where her tribe was spending the Hibernation Month. She went to where there was nothing but ocean and sand. She started to think about her future with Dick. Zatanna lay against the sand and began to count the pros and cons. The Hibernation Month was usually a month long celebration but she didn't feel like partying._

_"Dear Neptune, what am I meant to do?" she said as she ran her hand over her face._

* * *

In the real world, light began appearing on Zatanna's shoulders and the right side of her torso. She rolled over from being curled up to being stretched out.

* * *

_"Zatanna?" called Sindella as she looked for her daughter._

_Zatanna sat up off the ground and swam over to meet her mother. _

_"What is it, Mother?" she asked._

_"Oh, Zatanna, I was worried you had woken up early," said Sindella, taking her hand "Come, we should return to the reef,"_

_"No!" Zatanna exclaimed, pulling her hand out of her mother's grip._

_She turned away, her arms crossed and her hair flowing around her to hide her. She gently flapped her fins to keep herself in place in the water._

_"Zatanna? What's wrong, my child?" Sindella asked._

_"Mother, I'm in love with Dick but, not only does he live on land, he lives in America. What can I do when I'm free to leave?" Zatanna turned to her mother "I don't want to leave him but I couldn't possibly leave the Italian sea forever. What should I do?"_

_Zatanna swam into her mother's arms and began to cry, though she couldn't tell._

_"Zatanna... my child... let me tell you how I met your father," said her mother, lifting her chin to look at her "182 years ago..."_

* * *

_...182 years ago..._

**_Italy, Rome_**

_Sindella lay in the water, half-dead, with a spear through her tail. She floated on the surface without the strength to dive down. Her red blood leaking out of her beautiful white tail. Sindella's long blonde hair floated around her._

_"Hello?" someone shouted "Are you hurt?"_

_Sindella turned her head towards the shore and saw the silhouette of a man. He ran through the water towards her._

_"A... mermaid?" the man gasped._

_Sindella looked up at him and tried to swim away. She shrieked as she splashed around until the man took hold of her._

_"Don't worry, I'll help you!" the man said "My name is Giovanni Zatara, I'll take you to safety,"_

_Giovanni picked her up bridal style and walked back over to the beach. _

* * *

_"He saved my life," Sindella said "and, 2 years later, we had you,"_

_Zatanna floated onto the ground and curled up, trying to think of what to do._

* * *

Zatanna opened her eyes in the hibernation cave. She was suddenly hundreds of miles away from her tribe back at the Italian coast. She sat up and let out a sonar. Zatanna was disoriented from being asleep for a month. She squeezed out of the cave, forgetting to turn human to escape, and swam out of the tunnel.

She swam out into the river and examined herself. Her tail was now violet with golden tips and a violet short-sleeved t-shirt with loose sleeves with golden bands around her upper and lower arms. Zatanna looked at her hair to see violet streaks in it and spiral patterns on her upper arms (though she couldn't see it, she had on on the right side of her waist). Her fins were now pointed rather than round. She couldn't believe it! She had had a mermaid metamorphosis. So... what new powers did she have?

Zatanna swam up and hurled herself onto the side of the river. She flicked her hair and turned around. To her horror, Klarion and Vandel were there with men in black and guns. She looked to see Dick tied to a tree.

"Zatanna! Dive!" he exclaimed.

"I wouldn't recommend it, _Zatanna," _said Vandel and he raised his hand.

A gun was pointed at Dick's head and Zatanna shrieked in despair.

"No! Don't!" she cried "Please... don't..."

She collapsed onto the ground and began to cry. Vandel grabbed her by her arms and pulled her up.

"We've been camping here for 5 days waiting for you to resurface," he said "Put her in the tank,"

Some of the gunned men picked her up and put her in a glass box then sealed it. Zatanna could barely move in it and she began to feel claustrophobic.

"No! Zatanna!" Dick shouted, trying to break free from the rope.

A black cloth was put over the box and the goons picked it up. Dick watched in horror as they carried it away with Zatanna inside.


	8. Chapter 7

_Zee of the Sea_

_Chapter 7:_

Sindella looked up from under the water of the river. She flicked her tail and got closer to the edge. There was a young man tied to a tree calling Zatanna's name.

"Dick Grayson?" she called to him.

Dick looked around.

"Who's there?!" he shouted.

"No need to shout, Dick," she said "My name is Sindella, I'm Zatanna's mother. I know when my child is in danger, I've protected her for nearly 200 years!"

"Some hunters called Vandel and Klarion captured her a few hours ago," Dick said, turning his head "Where are you?"

Sindella pulled herself onto the river edge. Dick looked at her and was shocked. She had a pearly white tail with a white short-sleeved dress that had a slit up each side and a golden shell necklace around her neck. She had long blonde hair with white highlights that just made it seem lighter.

"So... you're the man my daughter fell in love with," Sindella said.

The thing that seemed to scare Dick the most was she carried a golden tridant.

"Y-Yes," he stammered.

"Listen, Dick, I'm about to ask you some questions before I release you and it's at the utmost importance that you answer truthfully," she said, running her thumb over the prongs of her weapon.

Dick nodded.

"Alright," Sindella said "Did Zatanna come out of her hibernation having experienced a metamorphosis?"

"Well... her tail was violet-and-gold and her hair was streaked the same colours and she had violet markings on her arms..." Dick said.

"Oh, no," said Sindella "It's happened..."

"What has?" he asked.

"Zatanna isn't the average mermaid and not because she's half-human," said the mermaid "You see, a mermaid's DNA is 50% human and 50% fish. This means Zatanna's DNA should be 75% human and 25% fish,"

"So?" Dick asked.

"Zatanna's father wasn't normal," said Sindella "He had an ancestor who was a mermaid so Zatanna's DNA is actually 30% fish and 70% human. It's uneven, unstable, and that's why Zatanna has to supress the extra 20% human DNA,"

"What does this have to do with right now?" Dick asked.

"Zatanna still has an extra 5% of fish in her, making her 45% human and 55% fish," she continued "This makes her even more of a mermaid like the next evolutionary step for our kind..."

"Zatanna's super special, what's your point?" he asked.

"This makes her very strong," said Sindella "Over the centuries, species have crossed. Most of the time it's a seawater mermaid and a freshwater mermaid and occasionally a human. Sometimes it's a seawater/freshwater hybrid who then goes on to have a merchild with a human,"

"Confusing," said Dick.

"Extremely," she said "But, what I'm trying to say is there is no whole mermaid. We all have some kind of mixed DNA. Giovanni, Zatanna's father, with his small percentage of mermaid DNA, counteracted my imperfect genetics,"

"So... Zatanna has perfect mermaid DNA?" he asked.

"Yes and that unlocks a long-lost power," said Sindella "Zatanna's now metamorphic transformation has turned her into a siren. Back in the days of pure mermaids, once a female mermaid experienced their 19th hibernation cycle, they'd mature into a siren,"

"Zee's a siren?" Dick asked.

"Yes... sirens had the power to sing intoxicating enchantments that could bring captains to run their ships on rocks, to leave their wives and children, to dive into the water and never be seen again," Sindella explained "But, a siren's song could also ward people away from rocks, give them direction through the dark and bring them hope. Ultimately, the power was deamed too dangerous and mermaids began cross-breading until the power disappeared and merwomen stopped maturing into that stage,"

"So when Vandel said she is the best mermaid specimen he's seen in 50'000 years, he means it," Dick said "I've got to help her!"

"I know and, please, Dick, save my daughter's life," begged Sindella, reaching over with her tridant and cutting the rope around him.

Dick jumped up and stretched before looking down at Sindella.

"I will, Sindella," he said "Your daughter is safe with me,"

"I know she is, Dick, she truly loves you for reasons she hasn't even learned yet," Sindella said before falling backwards into the river.

Dick began running through the woods back to the road. Sindella began swimming back in the direction of the ocean. She hoped Dick would save her daughter before the hunters learned just what they had in their possession.

"Oh, Neptune, help them now," she said as she reached open sea.

* * *

Zatanna thrashed around in the box, trying to break free. Being trapped in the same water/air combination was the same as a human breathing the same air repeatedly. She had already absorbed quite a bit of water to keep herself hydrated but not enough for her to breathe. It would be even worse if she turned human, she'd suffocate. Zatanna's head began to spin from the reused water and she slumped down and curled up. Her worst fear had been realized... She had become merchandise on the supernatural black market.


	9. Chapter 8

** Thank you Prodigy16 for getting jemyart to draw me a front cover image! There is only 3 things inaccurate with it.**

**1. Zatanna's dress had short-sleeves, not sleeveless.**

**2. Her tail had red scales with black tips.**

**3. Her tail didn't have that red frill.**

**I still love the picture and I understand the scales would be tricky :s**

**THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!**

* * *

_Zee of the Sea_

_Chapter 8:_

Zatanna felt the box she was trapped in be carried and put down. The cloth was suddenly pulled away and the rush of sunlight amplified by the glass burned her. The box lid was opened and there was a rush of air. Zatanna began gasping for breath as they poured new water into the tank.

"What's that around her neck?" Klarion asked.

"It's a Glamour Charm," said Vandel "It allows her to gain legs and walk around as human,"

"We can't have her turning human and humiliating us," said Klarion, pulling the necklace from around her neck.

Zatanna put her hand over her heart where the seahorse charm was. She had been told all her life she wore it because her human/mermaid genetics were unstable. The truth was it was to suppress the symptoms of becoming a siren her entire life. But, the charm was important to her. Giovanni had made it and Sindella had enchanted it. It was sentimental to her.

"Let me out," Zatanna said "Please..."

Klarion closed the lid and sealed it. Zatanna began to cry and her tears stilled the water in the tank. She began to push at the lid and wouldn't stop even when she pressed herself against the bottom of the box.

"Tel em tuo!"

She intended to shout it but the spell came out as a song. The hunters and their minions covered their ears as a sonic wave bounced around. The glass of the box shook and Zatanna braced herself. The box shattered and she began crawling across the ground. She heard the ocean calling to her and she realized she was on a boat.

When she got to the edge, Zatanna tried to climb over the side but Vandel grabbed her and tied a gag around her mouth.

"Her price just went up," he said "Men, we've got a siren,"

"I thought they didn't turn into sirens anymore," said Klarion "Eh... a few extra gold coins is all the same,"

"Not quite, Klarion, she's the last supernatural being we'll ever have to sell," Vandel said, dragging Zatanna over to the mast and tying her arms behind it.

* * *

The ship docked at a mountain island with a monastery built into it. A man in a green cloak with a woman in a green-and-black combat suit walked onto deck. The woman walked in front of Zatanna and examined her.

"You weren't lying, Savage, you really did find a siren," she said "I'm Talia al Ghul, I'll be auctioning you off,"

Zatanna began trying to pull herself free and flapping her tail. Talia stood up and looked back at the man with her.

"She really is a siren," she said "We should prepare her for auction, Father,"

"Good work, Vandel, Klarion," said Talia's father.

"No problem, Ra's," said Vandel.

"But we had to track her from It-" before Klarion finished, Vandel elbowed him.

Zatanna looked at them all in hatred as some minions untied her and put her in another glass box with her hands tied behind her back.

* * *

Dick hurriedly started typing on his laptop. He had dozens of failed plans to remove the micro-trackers so he was pretty good at pinpointing the signals. He locked onto Zatanna's location on a private island owned by the al Ghul family.

"Al Ghul?" Dick wondered "Wasn't that Talia's surname? Can't believe Bruce dated her before marrying Selina,"

Dick closed his laptop and started packing things he'd absolutely need. Good thing he was a trained hacker, detective, acrobat and a bunch of other things.

* * *

The box was opened and Talia put a black collar around Zatanna's neck before taking off her gag. Zatanna sat up and opened her mouth to let out a siren song.

"Don't bother," said Talia "That collar blocks all mermaid abilities,"

Some of the minions picked her up from the water and walked up stairs leading to the top of a tank. They threw her in and the markings on Zatanna's arms began to glow violet under the water. She punched the glass as she tried to speak but found she couldn't talk. A black sheet was put over the tank and she was shrouded in darkness.

Zatanna sat on the bottom of the tank and saw the violet streaks in her black hair. She curled up as she began to cry. Usually she wouldn't be able to tell if she was crying because she was underwater but her tears glowed a bright blue. Zatanna hugged her arms and felt the golden bands around her upper and lower arms. She slid them off to get a better look at her markings. She noticed a glowing from under her shirt and she lifted the side up to see another marking on her right side. Zatanna lowered her t-shirt and lay down on the bottom of the tank.

"Oh... dear, Neptune... What am I meant to do?" she cried "I want to go home... I want to go back to Dick..."

The thought that she couldn't have both returned to her and she curled up, her nails turning yellow from fear.

* * *

**Things I "borrowed" from other media:**

**1. Kissing to learn a language. I got that from Starfire on the Teen Titans.**

**2. Nails changing colour depending on emotions. That's from the movie Aquamarine.**

**3. The glass box. That's from Pirates of the Caribbean.**


	10. Chapter 9

_Zee of the Sea_

_Chapter 9:_

Zatanna felt the tank be rolled somewhere. She swam off the floor of the tank as she heard people talking and a banging. She focused and managed to hear what was going on.

"Our next item for offer is a rarity. One hasn't existed for thousands of years and our resident immortal can verify that," said Talia "We give you-" the sheet was removed from over the tank "-the siren!"

Zatanna swan back, trying to get as far away as possible from the bidders. People marvelled at her as she swam around the tank in the hope to find an escape.

"200 gold coins!"

"300!"

"People, please, this will probably be the last siren in all of our lifetimes," said Talia "Bidding begins at," she hit her gavel "3000 gold coins,"

"3500!"

"4000!"

"4500!"

"4700!"

"5000!"

Zatanna hated hearing them shout out numbers. She was a living, breathing, sentient being yet they treated her like livestock.

"100'000!"

Zatanna looked up and saw the person who would most likely own her. She cowered at the sight of him as he walked into the courtyard and took his seat. It was David, the Black Manta, an evil sea criminal.

"100'000, going once, going twice," said Talia, lifting the gavel.

"150'000 gold coins and 2000 silver!" said someone.

"200'000!" David said.

Zatanna swam away from them in fear. She covered her eyes as she began to cry again, her glowing tears floating up in the water. 200'000 gold coins was the same as 20'00'000 dollars.

* * *

Dick reached the island and pulled off the scuba equipment. He pulled his backpack on and started in the direction of the monastery.

* * *

"200'000'000 gold coins!" David announced.

"300'500'00!"

People stared at him in shock. Zatanna looked up from where she was curled up on the bottom of the tank. She looked horrified and started to swim around the tank again. She was scared of going to the top because there were armed minions of Ra's and Talia's standing around the top.

Zatanna swam up to the top and the minions pointed their guns at her. She was determined not to be David's property.

"Sold to David for 700'000'000 gold coins!" Talia said, banging her gavel.

Zatanna gasped and dived back down. She turned back up and swam at top speed. She jumped from the tank before the minions could shoot at her and she landed on the ground. The collar smashed and fell off. Zatanna sat up and began crawling away from them.

"The inhibitor collar is off!" someone shouted.

Zatanna took a breath and tried to use her siren abilities. Since they were new, she didn't know how to activate them. In despair, she used the oldest mermaid trick in the book. Zatanna lifted her hands and took hold of the water in the pipes. Everyone stopped when they heard the creak of pipes. Zatanna pulled her hands in and the water came bursting into the courtyard and flooding it.

Dick was hidden behind a pillar in the courtyard when the water came. He began swimming through the currents and kept having to take hold of things to steady himself. Dick swam to the surface that was like a stormy sea. He took a breath and dived back down. The waves must have moved him since he was closer now.

Zatanna was curled up on the floor as she lost control of the water and it used her as a catalyst to defy the laws of physics. She looked up and saw Black Manta coming down in her direction. Zatanna screamed and increased the currents. She began swimming away but he grabbed her tail and pulled her into his arms. He grabbed her wrists and held them behind her and held a knife to her throat.

"You're mine," he said to her.

Dick had just reached the bottom when he saw Black Manta holding Zatanna hostage. Unfortunately, he was beginning to feel light-headed from lack of oxygen. Zatanna saw him and screamed. She began thrashing and the water currents pulled the knife from Black Manta's hand.

Zatanna broke free of him and swam to her boyfriend's side. She helped him to the floor before kissing him so he could breathe. Dick gasped in breath and smiled at her. She smiled back at him and kissed him again. The water suddenly dropped and drained away. Zatanna wrapped her arms around his neck as she knelt beside him.

"Found you," Dick said as she pulled away.

Zatanna laughed.

"We gotta get outta here," she said, smiling as tears began to fall.

"Zatanna, look out!" Dick suddenly shouted.

Zatanna turned around to see Vandel Savage swinging a sword at her. She couldn't react in time and she fell back against Dick with her blood bleeding from her. Dick took her in his arms in horror. Zatanna began gasping for breath as her ability to survive in anything but water diminished.

"I can still make my monthly quota by selling her corpse," said Vandel, raising his sword again.

Dick backwards rolled out of the way with Zatanna in his arms. He got up and ran into the monestry.

* * *

Zatanna's head lolled against Dick's shoulder as he ran with her in his arms. She felt cold... something an Italian mermaid should never feel. She closed her eyes and thought about the Italian sea just off the coast of Rome, her home. The warm waters, the soft sand, the way sunlight would glint off the top of the water which set dry land ablaze. Sindella would always ward her away from big ships because of when she was speared by one.

Dick ran out of the monestry and jumped off the dock. He completely submerged himself and Zatanna under the water. Zatanna's dark red blood still leaked through the water like ink. He began shaking her in hopes to revive her in some way. They sunk to the bottom of the dock and Dick lay her on the sands. He stroked her black hair out of her face, leaned down and kissed her. He leaned back and took a small breath. Despite Zatanna not being the one to initiate the kiss, it still worked and he could breathe. Dick crossed his hands over her wound and attempted to put pressure on it.

_Zatanna floated around just off the coast of Rome. She felt wonderful to be back home again but... something was missing. Dick! Dick was missing. Zatanna swam down to the bottom of the sea and touched it before turning to swim back up in an attempt to break her record for swimming down 10 metres and back. When she surfaced, she was in a cove. Sindella would take her there a lot. It was apparently where she was born 190 years ago. During the mermaid mating season, they'd turn human and, when the female bore a child, they'd remain human under the water until the child was born. _

_Zatanna swam to the shore and pulled herself up. She splashed her tail in the water. She looked out at the sea as the Sun set. She looked at her lap and saw one of her scales had fallen off. She picked it up and held it up to the Sun. The Sun shone through it and made the gold tip shine. Zatanna could barely recognize her own tail anymore because she was used to it being bright red with black tipped scales. Now it was violet with golden tipped scales. Zatanna lay back against the sand with her arms behind her head._

_"190 years..." she said but sat up when she realized "I'm going to live for centuries but Dick... he won't,"_

_She began to cry and she curled up at the thought of living without him._


	11. Chapter 10

_Zee of the Sea_

_Chapter 10:_

_Zatanna wiped her eyes and leaned up. She slid back into the water and sunk to the ground. She looked at the glistening surface up above and swan up to it. When she surfaced, she was out to sea again. Zatanna felt a tug and she realized where she was... the Apollo Riptide. She began being pulled down into the depths of a stormy ocean. She had been caught in the Apollo Riptide when she was young and, since then, she was terrified of it. Zatanna reached up as she was pulled down in fear..._

_"Help!"_

_And she was pulled into the abisk._

* * *

"Zatanna... please... wake-up," Dick said, kneeling beside her.

He could feel his tears escaping from his eyes but couldn't see them. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She had stopped breathing a while ago, he just didn't want to let her go.

"I love you, Zatanna, I know I didn't say it but I love you," Dick said.

"You're not going to give up that easily, are you?"

Dick looked up to see an entire tribe of mermaids around him. Sindella swam over to Zatanna and stroked her daughter's black hair.

"Though the full extent of the siren abilities are gone, there is still some left in us," she said "Everyone, together,"

A long and elegant melody began echoing around them. Dick looked down at Zatanna in hope. Multicoloured bubbles began to bubble over her and popped to reveal she was completely changing. She was going through yet another metamorphosis...

The bubbles completely popped to reveal her tail was now covered in a rainbow of scales (though mostly yellow) and her black hair had a streak of rainbow colours next to each other on both sides of her head. Her markings were the same spiralling patterns but the rainbow colours melted together and were shadowed by yellow that glowed through her long-sleeves. Zatanna's t-shirt changed to a white tunic with rainbow coloured stitching going all around the edge.

"Zatanna?" Dick said, gently.

Zatanna's eyes flickered open and she gasped. She sat up and looked around.

"Dick?" she said, quietly "Dick!" and she threw her arms around him.

"Zatanna... you're alright," Dick said, holding her.

"Look at me," said Zatanna, floating up and looking at her new rainbow tail "I look like a rainbow puked on me,"

"You look beautiful," said her boyfriend.

"Mother?" Zatanna said, looking at Sindella "What's going on? Why's the entire tribe here?"

"Because it's time we deal with the trafficking of mermaids," said Sindella "We're here to end it,"

"And allow you crazy kids to be together," said M'gann, floating forward.

* * *

The hunters were waiting for Dick and Zatanna to surface when the water began to rise. The water began forming a dome and those on land realized there were mermaids in the waves. They marvelled at the structure as the dome over the island was complete.

"You guys shouldn't have messed with our kind," said Zatanna, poking her head out of the water.

She retreated back into the wave and swam up the dome. She jumped into the air as she reached the top and landed into the water at its peak. The dome came tumbling down and the island was taken with it.

Dick was hurled backwards as the island sank. Being human, he didn't have the strength to swim against it until Zatanna came swimming at jet-speed to him. She grabbed him and hugged him, even wrapping her tail around him. Dick hugged her back and laughed.

"I love you," he said.

Zatanna looked at him and smiled.

"You haven't said that before," she said, smiling "You excepted that that's how I felt about you... I love you too,"

"I love you..." he said "I love you. I love you. I... love... you,"

"Dick... I can't stay away from the Italian sea, I can't stay in America with you," Zatanna said, looking downwards with misery as her glowing tears floated upwards.

"I already know what to do," Dick said "There's nothing to keep me in America. What if... I move to Rome to be closer to you? I'll keep in touch with my family, of course, but I want to be with you,"

Zatanna smiled at him and kissed him. They held each other close until a shine of rainbow light distracted them. She floated away and looked at the light. The light dimmed and she was left with legs covered by a long white skirt.

"Seems you've obtained the power to make yourself human," said Sindella, swimming over.

Sindella lifted up her seahorse necklace and Zatanna gasped, taking it.

"My necklace," she said, fastening it around her neck "Thank you, Mother,"

"I found it when we checked the island," said Sindella "I removed the enchantment so you'll have full access to your abilities, my child, but it will still turn into a starfish when you're in a human form,"

Zatanna's legs began to glow and turned into her rainbow tail again. She swam back into Dick's arms and rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and held her close.

"Zatanna... there's one more thing," said Sindella "Your aging. You age slower than Dick,"

"But, I don't want to age slower than him. I want to age like a human," she said, crossing her arms and turning from her tribe.

"Zatanna, come here, my child," said Sindella.

Zatanna turned to her mother with her glowing tears floating upwards. Sindella wrapped her hands around the seahorse charm and it began glowing.

"Mother?" Zatanna asked, pulling the necklace out to look at it.

"Never take this off for too long," said her mother, tapping it "As long as you wear it, you will age as fast as a human,"

"Zatanna, are you sure you want to give up living for centuries?" Dick asked.

"Yes, for you I'd give up my tail," Zatanna responded, putting her hands on his shoulder and resting her head on his shoulder.

Dick smiled at her and pulled her into his arms. They looked at each other before Zatanna cupped his face and kissed him. Dick had always had trouble with women, Barbara Gordon, Bette Kane, Kory Anders, he could never fully invest into a relationship. But, Zatanna, she was different and not because she was a mermaid. He had a connection to her in ways he couldn't explain. Zatanna had loved Dick since she first saw him, that kiss wasn't _just _to learn Forwards. They both had finally found someone to love... forever.


	12. Epilogue

**I still dare you all to write a fanfic with Mermaid!Zatanna in it!**

* * *

_Zee of the Sea_

_Epilogue:_

A beautiful woman walked along the rocks as the waves crashed against them. Her long black hair floated in the wind with a rainbow headband keeping it from getting in her face. Her eyes were like the clearest and bluest tropical oceans. Her skin a perfect tan complexion. She wore a white tunic with rainbow stitching all around the side and a long white skirt with bare feet. Around her neck was a golden starfish hanging from a leather string. She walked onto the beach and let the Italian ocean wash over her feet.

Dick came running down the beach from his beachside apartment. She turned to him and welcomed his hello kiss. They took each other's hands as they walked along the beach.

"It's been 2 weeks, Zatanna, what kept you?" Dick asked.

Zatanna lightly laughed.

"The tides weren't in my favour," she said "Even if I can manipulate the currents, I can't stop nature,"

"Today's your 191st birthday," said Dick "But you're physically 20-years-old as of now,"

"I'm glad I got here for today," said Zatanna.

"Me too," said her boyfriend "It's been a year since I first found you on that Gotham beach,"

"Time flies when you're mortal," she said.

"Yes and that's why I have something to ask you," said Dick.

"What?"

Dick got on his knee and held up a ring sitting in a box. The sapphire jewel on it reminded Zatanna of the deep blue.

"Zatanna, Zee of the Sea, Zatara," Dick said "Will you marry me?"

Zatanna covered her mouth as she began to cry seawater and nodded.

"Yes, yes, I'll marry you," she cried, pulling him in and kissing him.

Dick wrapped his arms around her and held her close. When they pulled away, he slid the ring on her finger and she nearly cried again. Zatanna looked out to sea with her fiance's arms around her. The waves crashed on the beach and the water washed past their feet. She took a breath and her enchanting song echoed through the water, not on land. The moods of the sea creatures became happier and the mermaids heard the happy music. The wind picked up and Zatanna rubbed her arms.

"C'mon, I'll make you some hot chocolate," said Dick, directing her up the beach "With cream and a mystery amount of marshmallows,"

Zatanna leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked up the beach. She smiled and finally felt... at peace... with everything. She had always felt like something was missing from her life. But, with Dick, she didn't feel like that at all. It seemed all Zatanna needed was... love.


End file.
